Boat hull construction



July 31, 1962 A. J. MILLER 3,046,926

BOAT HULL CONSTRUCTION Filed June 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r3 -Z M IN V EN TOR.

d/vozzlv d Maze BY Wm Arrow/5y July 31, 1962 A. J. MILLER BOAT HULL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1959 fl w I I 0 i l8 INVENTOR. ,gwezn Mame T 7% es a-me 3,046,926 E Patented July 31, 1962 3,046,926 BGAT HULL CONSTRUGHQN Andrew J. Miller, Hollywood, Fla. Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,489 1 Claim. (Cl. 11461) This invention relates to an improved construction for boat hulls, and it more particularly relates to boat hulls having planing characteristics.

It is now Well established that boats equipped with planing surfaces are, for many purposes, much superior to conventional boats because once the boat is in motion, 1t rides above the water with the planing surfaces supporting the boat on the top surface of the water. Since there is not displacement of water, there is little resistance to the forward motion of the boat so that it travels at greatly increased .speeds and with much more maneuverability than was heretofore possible. It is also possible with this type of construction to enter Waters which would otherwise be too shallow for the draft of the vessel.

The aforesaid characteristics permit easy adaptation to small, sport-type craft such as sail boats and outboards. In addition, it may be used in larger vessels such as cargo ships, tankers and military or naval Vessels where swiftness and freedom from torpedo attack is desirable.

The negligible displacement, while in motion, gives very effective results in sailing vessels which may, as a result, maneuver in shallower waters than ever before. As to motor-driven vessels, the planing arrangement provides both speed and fuel economy because the work of displacing a mass of water does not exist While the craft is in motion.

For the foregoing reasons, various types of planing constructions have been used heretofore. However, in general, these prior constructions have utilized external planing appendages. These appendages were usually movable. Such appendage construction not only made the crafts appearance clumsy and distorted but was also disadvantageous in its extra expense and cost of manufacture. In addition, bots equipped with external planing surfaces also required parts below the surface of the water such as keels and the like.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages of prior hydrofoil constructions by providing a boat with a planing hull wherein the planing principle has been reduced to its most simple form and incorporated into the surface contour and structure. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide a boat hull construction with planing surfaces wherein the planing surfaces rise to substantially the surface of the water to support the Weight of the vessel while in motion.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved boat hull planing construction, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a boat hull embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2.

2 Referring in greater detail to the figures of the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, it is to be noted that the planing hull assembly, generally designated 10, comprises two separate hull sections 12 and 14, each being located along the bow-keel-to-stern line of the boat.

The hull sections 12 and 14 are connected by the center section 16, fiat in cross section, of the hull assembly 10, the sections 12 and 14 extending down below the center section 16 and each being provided on its unde'rsu-rface with a planing surface, flat in cross section, as at 18 and 20.

As can be seen from the drawings, the outer flat sides of the all 19 are inwardly tapered and this taper is continued in the same plane in the corresponding hull sections 12 and 14 which are also fiat in cross section. The sections 12 and 1 are also inwardly tapered at their inner sides 22 and 24 and these sections 12 and 14 are additionally inwardly tapered on each side in the horizontal plane (as shown at 26 and 28, respectively, in FIG. 4).

The hull it: is provided with a top opening 30 to permit entrance into the hull. A

In operation, the sections 12 and 14 appear to be the sides of an ordinary hull and blend in completely with the remainder of the hull. There is also no need to move these sections in any manner in order for them to accomplish their purpose. These sections 12 and 14 always support the hull both when the boat is stationary or moving. When the boat is moving, the planing sections 18 and 2% continue to support the main center section it? out of the water while the boat moves over the water in planing fashion while supported thereby.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A boat hull comprising a pair of laterally spaced floats and an intermediate transverse connecting wall, a common, vertically extending flat stern wall connecting the rear ends of said floats and said transverse wall, said spaced floats and said transverse connecting wall being shaped and arranged so as to provide below the operating waterline of said hull two discrete hull portions, and above the operating waterline forming a longitudinally extending tunnel extending throughout the major portion of the length of the hull, the top of said tunnel being formed by the bottom surface of said transverse connecting wall having a generally smooth flat surface which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the waterline for the major distance from its stern end, the longitudinal elements of the sides of said tunnel being formed by the inner walls of said floats, the inner walls, the outer Walls, and the bottom walls of said floats being fiat throughout a major portion of their length from their stern ends, said float bottom walls extending horizontally throughout said major portion of their length from their stern ends, said inner walls being inclined inwardly and upwardly from their bottom Walls to said transverse connecting wall, said outer walls being inclined outwardly and upwardly from said fiat bottom walls, said flat bottom walls being of uniform width and fiat in transverse cross section from their stern ends to their bow ends, the top edges of said stern wall and of said outer inclined walls defining a common horizontal deck plane, said float bottom walls curving upwardly from their major horizontal portions in a smooth curve to said common horizontal deck plane, said transverse connecting wall also curving upwardly fiomits major portiontto meet said common deck plane in the same transverse line with the bow ends of said float bottom walls, said inner walls and said outer walls of said floats each curving inwardly and forwardly in smooth curves from their major flat portions to a terminal point'in said transverse bow meeting line of said float bottom walls and said transverse Connecting wall thereby providing astreamlined bell mouth to said tunnel and streamlined forward portions to said float outer inclined walls.

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Babcock' Jan. 19, 1954 I Hulet Mar. 22, 1955 Thomas Oct. 14, 1958 DeStefani Aug. 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS" 7 'Great Britain of 1899 

